The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon episode 1 recap - Where is the show set?

The premiere episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon was a brilliant introduction to a new world of The Walking Dead and several characters who will surge in importance in the upcoming episodes. The show is set in post-apocalyptic France, and the protagonist, Daryl Dixon, has a new mission.

This episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon was titled L'ame Perdue. It was released on September 10, 2023, on AMC. It was directed by Daniel Percival and written by David Zabel.

Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead.

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The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon episode 1 recap: Who was Laurent?

The episode began with Daryl Dixon floating aimlessly on an upside-down boat as he was forced to flee America. After floating around for several days, he finally managed to hit land, but when he did, he realized he was not in the USA anymore.

Daryl explored the new land he was on and eventually realized that he had made it to France, in Europe. While exploring this new land, he realized that the French Walkers were different. When one Walker touched him, his skin literally burned to a crisp.

He then met two locals, a woman, and her old grandfather. While he was with them, two goons showed up and attacked the woman in order to steal her supplies. Daryl eventually managed to kill their attackers. However, his new friends didn't turn out to be trustworthy as they too turned on him and struck him on the head, knocking him out.

An unconscious Daryl was rescued by a nun, who took him to a nearby church. With their aid, the injured man soon made a recovery.

When Daryl woke up, he was stunned to see the place he was in. Isabelle, the nun who rescued him, explained how the church worked. She showed him around and fed him. He also met a young boy named Laurent, who was very important to the community, even being hailed a messiah of sorts.

Isabelle explained to Daryl that the boy was important and they needed his help to transport him to another part of the country. However, Daryl was suspicious of the church and refused to help them initially.

Soon after, a few goons showed up at the church, demanding that the nuns hand over Daryl, who was about to leave but returned when he heard the goons.

These goons were with the same duo that had attacked him previously. Upon the nuns' reluctance to comply with their orders, the situation escalated, with an all-out fight breaking out between the goons and Daryl, who is accompanied by the nuns in the fight.

Most of the nuns and goons ended up getting killed in the massacre that follows. Only the leader of the goons escaped alive, whereas Daryl, Isabelle, Laurent, and Sylvie turned out to be the sole survivors in the church.

Daryl told Isabelle that he was ready to help them.

The episode then cut to Le Havre, Northern France, where viewers were introduced to a mysterious woman. She asked the captain of a ship where "the man" was, to which he replied that he was “presumed dead". The captain further revealed that the man is named Dixon.

This seems to suggest that Daryl got into some major trouble with these people and had to make an escape. It is to be seen how these two storylines will reconnect in the upcoming The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon episodes.

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The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon synopsis

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the synopsis of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon reads:

"Following his departure from The Commonwealth, Daryl Dixon washes ashore in France, raising the ire of a splintered but growing autocratic movement centered in Paris and endangering a young boy at the heart of a benevolent religious movement."

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon stars Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Clémence Poésy as Isabelle, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi as Laurent, Laïka Blanc-Francard as Sylvie, Anne Charrier as Genet, and several others.